The city of Peoria is continuing the pilot program RoboRide that offers residents new technology for transportation. The program started in early 2020 but was forced to end due to the pandemic. The RoboRide autonomous medical shuttle is a self-driving vehicle capable of sensing its environment and driving with little to no human input. The shuttle was created to determine how feasible autonomous vehicles could adapt to the area of Peoria and if this type of transportation could carry on into the future.
“This is very much a project that looks towards the future to understand how, not only can Peoria incorporate this technology but how can others in the Valley, the state and the country,” said Kevin Burke, the city's interim chief financial officer.
The RoboRide shuttle will pick up its passengers at marked locations and take them to selected locations within the healthcare district in Plaza Del Rio Boulevard. The area also includes residential communities with retirement living and single family homes. The program began in the fall of 2021 and will run through March 19, 2022.
